1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to garments. More specifically, it relates to compression and thermal therapy garments.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The art of heating and cooling the human body for prevention and/or treatment of injuries is well known and frequently practiced. Such treatments can not only relieve pain and increase flexibility, but can also alter the body's core temperature improving the ability to function properly. The state of the art has progressed greatly from manually holding bags of ice and warm towels to specialized wrapping devices containing hot/cold packs. These hot/cold packs are generically referred herein as thermal transferring elements (TFE's).
There currently exist numerous methods for applying and securing TFE's. One such method is manually holding a TFE, which has clear downsides, such as lacking of ability to secure in a hard to reach location and restricting the use of at least one hand. Another method is attaching a TFE to a body part using straps, wraps, adhesives, or other means. This option also accompanies several disadvantages. One disadvantage is the potential restriction of mobility in commonly treated body parts, such as a knee of shoulder. Another is the difficulty in securing such a device to a hard to reach body part or to an arm. Arguably, the biggest disadvantage is the possibility of securing the strap or warps too tightly, potentially resulting in impeded blood flow and damage to underlying tissue and muscle.
Accordingly, what is needed is a more efficient thermal therapy device allowing a user to easily apply and secure a TFE to a desired treatment area. However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the field of this invention how the shortcomings of the prior art could be overcome.
All referenced publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein, is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein.
In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.